Wild Coast Tented Lodge - Relais & Chateaux

Sri Lanka’s South Coast Is This Winter’s Hottest Destination | Vogue

"Luxury meets raw wilderness at this Relais & Châteaux tented retreat set on a sliver of dryland forest between Yala National Park and the vast Indian Ocean on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. At dawn, golden rays lit up broken branches and impossibly large footprints outside my luxurious tent, evidence of the elephant that had wandered by in the night. The tented accommodations resemble cocoons, with spacious suites featuring four-poster beds, copper claw-foot tubs, and vintage leather trunks cleverly converted into minibars. For all the refined elegance, the place remains thrillingly untamed: there are no fences, and animals roam freely—elephants, sloth bears, grey lemurs, leopards, and yes, cobras; on a guided nature walk along the beach we even stumbled upon an eight-foot-long spectacled cobra. I like my luxury served with a side of adventure, and this stay delivers." - Christine Chitnis